Game 1 had 1.192 million viewers, good for only a 0.8 US rating on ESPN. That was down 52% from 2009’s Texas vs. LSU Game 1 matchup. However, the CWS still drew more viewers than a Stephen Strasburg start for the Washington Nationals on ESPN2.

The clinching Game 2 drew better, with 1.853 million viewers, good for a 1.2 US rating. Despite the increase over Monday night, the broadcast was still down 29% from last year’s Game 2 (which was a non-clinching game.)

What do you think led to the drop in ratings for the CWS? The participating teams? Not going to a Game 3? Feel free to discuss this in the comments.

South Carolina senior right hander Blake Cooper had an impressive performance on Monday night against the UCLA Bruins as the Gamecocks picked up a 7-1 victory. Entering the game, Cooper was less regarded starting pitcher as he was facing off against UCLA sophomore right-hander Gerrit Cole who was selected in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees but turned down the opportunity to pitch for Bruins. After the game was over, Copper had pitched eight strong innings letting up three hits and only one run while striking out 10 batters. Cole, on the other hand struggled all night letting up a season high 11 hits and six runs while laboring through seven innings.

The South Carolina Gamecocks picked up a 7-1 victory over the UCLA Bruins behind a strong pitching performance from junior RHP Blake Cooper. He went eight innings allowing three hits and one run while striking out 10 batters with one walk.

The Gamecocks jumped on UCLA ace Gerrit Cole for two runs in the first inning with three hits and taking advantage of a Cody Regis error to give the Gamecocks the early 2-0 lead. They would add a single run in the top of the second inning on a Evan Marzilli RBI single to give South Carolina the 3-0 lead.

South Carolina has dedicated their College World Series run to Bayler Teal, a 7-year old from Bishopsville who had been battling a rare form of cancer called Neuroblastoma. Teal lost his battle on Thursday night, and the Gamecocks are now regrettably now playing in his memory. Michael Roth, who hadn’t started a game all season, threw a complete game on Friday night against Clemson to survive another day, and was interviewed by ESPN postgame and spoke briefly about Bayler, having the letters BT on his cap.

OMAHA – South Carolina edged rival Clemson, 4-3, in a tight seesaw affair on Saturday night in the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium, earning the right to face UCLA in the championship series beginning Monday at 6:30 p.m. CT.

The Gamecocks return to the CWS finals for the first time since 2002 and for the fourth time in program history. The win also improves South Carolina to 4-0 against Clemson in the CWS, including a pair of wins in 2002.

OMAHA – The UCLA Bruins jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first and cruised to a 10-3 victory over the TCU Horned Frogs on Saturday afternoon in game 13 of the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium. The Bruins will play for their first national title beginning Monday at 6:30 p.m. CT against the winner of tonight’s contest between Clemson and South Carolina.

UCLA rode the coattails of starter Trevor Bauer’s 13-strikeout performance, making him the nation’s leader with 165 strikeouts this year. Bauer (12-3) retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced, fanning the last four hitters he faced before exiting after eight innings. He held the Frogs to three runs on four hits, as the Bruins held TCU to its lowest hit total of the year.

The TCU Horned Frogs and UCLA Bruins will face off again today in an elimination game at the 2010 College World Series. TCU started the tourney with a victory over FSU by the score of 8-1 before dropping a 6-3 game to UCLA and bounced back with a 11-7 victory over Florida State again. They would defeat UCLA 6-2 on Friday to force a winner take all game against the Bruins on Saturday afternoon. UCLA picked up a 11-3 victory in their first game in Omaha over Florida before picking up a 6-3 win over TCU. On Friday, they dropped a 6-2 decision to the Horned Frogs to force a rematch on Saturday.

This season’s fifth meeting between Clemson and South Carolina on Saturday evening in just another chapter in the Palmetto State rivalry, but this one will hold a little more weight than most meetings. Having split the season series 2-2, the winner of today’s matchup advances to the Championship Round of the College World Series, where they will face the winner of UCLA and TCU. Clemson, playing out of the winner’s bracket after handily beating #1 National Seed Arizona State and Oklahoma, was riding high into Friday night’s contest where they were dispatched in a lackluster 3-hit effort against starting pitcher Michael Roth and the Gamecocks, and are now scrambling to find answers at the plate while South Carolina is riding high after three straight victories.

OMAHA – South Carolina starter Michael Roth delivered a career-best performance, tossing a complete-game three-hitter en route to the Gamecocks’ 5-1 win over Clemson on Friday night in the College World Series at Rosenblatt Stadium. The two teams will square off again on Saturday at 6 p.m. CT in the Bracket Two finale, with the winner advancing to the championship finals beginning Monday.

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